Dental Care

First, let’s clarify that asking “what is oral surgery” and what is oral and maxillofacial surgery” are one in the same. Oral refers to your mouth, while maxillofacial refers to your jaws and face. An oral and maxillofacial surgeon may diagnose, treat or perform surgery to resolve injuries or issues in the head, neck, face, jaws and hard and soft oral tissues. Oral and maxillofacial surgery is recognized internationally as a surgical specialty. In fact, to become an oral surgeon, one must earn a four-year graduate degree in dentistry and complete a hospital oral and maxillofacial surgery residency program for a minimum of 4 years. This program includes specialized training in anesthesia and pain control. If your dentist refers you to an oral surgeon, it does not necessarily mean you have a challenging case to treat! It simply means there is a specialized surgeon who can better treat your case.

You might need oral surgery for something as common as dental implants, or for the treatment of a tumor or cyst in the jaw, for example. So oral surgery can solve cosmetic or reconstructive needs. Your dentist might also refer you to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for:

Facial pain or TMJ/TMD
Wisdom teeth issues
Misaligned jaw
Reconstructive surgery following an injury
Cleft lip and palate surgery
Cancer in the face, jaw or neck area
Obstructive sleep apnea